Ice block releaser



Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE BLOCK RELEASER Antoine Gazda, Providence, R. I.

Application March 21, 1946, Sera No. 655,925

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to freezing trays for refrigerators, ice-boxes and the like, and more particularly to an ice-cube releasing plate which is readily associable with such trays.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved plate which is readily associable with a freezing tray (which may be es sentially conventional in construction) and which is also readily removable therefrom and which, in operation, functions to supply heat to the freezing tray and to the ice cubes therein in order to release the latter from the tray.

Heretofore, the general procedure in detaching ice cubes from a freezing tray has involved the removal of the latter from the refrigerator freezing compartment, and holding the removed tray under a stream of hot water until the frozen contents thereof-ice cubes, etc-are released therefrom under the influence of the heat transmitted from the hot water. This is a cumbersome and inconvenient procedure, and is sometimes difiicult since it involves the handlers coming into contact with ice and with hot water.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties and simplifies the manipulation of emptying trays of their frozen contents. To this end, the aforementioned plate is provided in the form of a heatable plate or false bottom which fits into the bottom of the tray, between. the latter and the conventional ice cube-molding partition mem ber. The heatable element is preferably of heattransmitting material and has heating elements-resistance wires or the likeincorporated therein. Means is also provided whereby the element is readily connected to and disconnected from a source of electric current. It is also desirable to provide means, in the form of clamps or the like, for preventing undesired dissociation of the tray and plate, as when the tray is turned upside down.

When the heating element is in operation, the heat generated therewithin is transmitted to the adjacent tray parts and to the adjacent partition member and the frozen contents of the tray thaw out and are quickly released. As a result, the tray can easily and quickly be emptied of its frozen contents.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had in this regard to the accompanying sheet of drawings.

On the said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a heating plate in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of an ice tray with a heating plate according to the invention in place therein; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Reference numeral I0 designates an essentially conventional form of ice freezing metallic tray of the type which may contain a conventional metallic partition element (not shown) adapted to define ice cubes therein. The tray I0 as showny includes the usual bottom and side and end walls. The walls preferably, but not necessarily, flare outwardly as shown.

Shaped to fit snugly into the bottom of the tray is the heating plate or false bottom Il. When used in association with a tray having outwardly aring walls, the ends and sides of plate I I are correspondingly beveled.

The plate II may be made of metal, glass, plastic material or the like and has embedded therein the resistance Wire I2 which, conveniently, is arranged in undulant configuration so as to extend effectively over the entire area of the plate. The latter may be of laminated construction with the resistance wire between the laminations, or else it may be hollow with one side thereof constituting a cover therefore. The cover may be integrated with the remainder of the plate in any suitable and conventional manner, as for instance, by spot welding after assembly of the parts.

The resistance wire I2 extends through insulated leads which t against the adjacent tray wall and are suiciently closely arranged so as not to interfere with the insertion of a conventional partition member into the tray. The ends of wire I2 terminate respectively in a terminal prong I4.

In order to associate the heating plate II with the tray, on the bottom of which the plate is laid, and to hold the plate and tray against undesired disassembly, the plate is preferably provided with upstanding spring bars I5 the free ends of which resiliently iit over and engage the beading I 6 provided at the top of the tray walls; see Fig. 3. The bars I5 may however yield for detachment from the tray walls, when it is desired to remove the plate II from the tray I0.

In removing ice cubes or the like from the freezing tray I0, it is merely necessary to fit a socket Il, connected to a source of electric current, over the terminal prongs I4; see Fig. 2. In a very short time, e. g. of the order of about 30 seconds, a suicient quantity of heat will have been transmitted from the resistance wire I2 to the plate I I and from the latter to the tray walls and to the usually present compartment-forming partition member (which rests on the plate II) to start incipient melting of the adjacent ice cube surfaces whereupon by merely inverting the tray the ice cubes will drop out.

Socket I'I may be provided with a manually operable switch or with an automatic cut-out switch of conventional construction whereby, after current has passed for a predetermined period of time, the circuit is broken.

After the cubes have been removed, the socket I'I is detached and the tray is ready for re-use in the usual way.

The removability of the heating plate I i facilitates cleaning thereof when necessary. Close t between the parts is desired in order to enhance the transmission of heat between the parts,

It is seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides an improved means, readily adapted to conventional ice freezing trays, whereby removal of frozen ice cubes therefrom is made possible in simple and rapid manner.

While the drawings illustrate and the specification describes a particular embodiment, this is not intended to be limitative, the invention being circumscribed only by the scope of the following claim.

Having disclosed the invention, what is claimed 1s:

An ice block releaser consisting essentially of a plate of heat transmitting material, said plate being congured to fit snugly within an ice freezing tray on the bottom thereof extending over the entire bottom and being interposed between the material to be frozen and the tray bottom, heat generating means embedded in and con tained within said plate and having two ends extending therefrom, insulated leads secured on said ends, said leads extending upwards over the side of said tray and terminating in a terminal prong, said leads being congured to lie in close relationship with the side of the tray and relatively close to one another, and means for operatively integrating said plate and the tray with which it may be associated while allowing dissociation thereof comprising upstanding spring bar members secured at one end thereof to said plate and extending upwardly for lying along the sides of an associated tray, the free ends of said members resiliently engaging the top of such tray.

ANTOINE GAZDA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 829,898 Shipp Aug. 28, 1906 1,472,197 Sutherland Oct. 30, 1923 1,974,146 Barnes Sept. 18, 1934 2,024,612 Sulzberger Dec. 17I 1935 2,112,060 Atchison Mar, 22, 1938 2,232,998 Cornohouz Feb. 25, 1941 2,265,807 Hanft Dec. 9, 1941 

